Method for transmitting information

ABSTRACT

A method is for transmitting information within a user group. Communication terminals, which are registered with a central communication device, are assigned to the individual users of the group. Information for the members of the group is stored in the central communication device. The information is then transmitted to the communication terminal via an interface device, or is issued on an output device, as soon as the user concerned enters the range of the interface device and/or the output device.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/DE01/02614 which has an Internationalfiling date of Jul. 12, 2001, which designated the United States ofAmerica and which claims priority on German Patent Application number DE100 33 729.5 filed Jul. 12, 2000, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated herein by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to a method for transmitting informationwithin a user group. The invention furthermore generally relates to acentral communication device for carrying out the method.

2. Background of the Invention

With a method or a device respectively, as is known from EP-A-0 542 118,it is however necessary for a user to actively perform actions to ensurethat he receives the information stored for him as part of a user group.

It is furthermore known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,633 to determine thepresence of a registered communication terminal at a location, wherein atransmission and/or output of information is performed for the user ifthe communication terminal of the respective user is determined aspresent.

In general it should be pointed out that more and more people are usingmobile phones or pagers in order to be constantly contactable bytelephone for other people, or at least to be able to exchange or atleast receive data, for example short messages. Likewise, more and morepeople are using “PDAs” (Personal Digital Assistants) for their dailyorganization for storing addresses, as a notebook, etc. The latestdevelopments tend toward the convergence of mobile radio devices andPDAs in such a way that in the future, usually only one device which hasboth the functions of a mobile radio device and the full range offeatures of a PDA will be required. Owing to their ever easieroperation, the devices are increasingly also being used by persons whoare not particularly technically oriented or informed.

Despite the widespread use of these devices, it is usually the case thatin groups that have a common local point of contact at which variousmembers of the group are present at different times of day, informationis exchanged between the members of the group by leaving notes foranother member of the group at the location. In the case of informationthat relates to the whole group, this note is pinned up centrally on anoticeboard for example.

A typical example of such a small defined group is a family, aresidential community, or a group of co-workers in an office. However,this “communication by notes” is often not very effective since membersof the group frequently overlook the messages of the others. Although inmany groups virtually all the members of the group have their owncommunication terminal, the means of communication (SMS or voice mobileradio) available therewith are usually not utilized for the regularcommunication among members of the group. This is because either it isnecessary to continually establish connections to the individual membersof the group, or any group functions provided by the communicationterminals are too complicated for the inexperienced user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide amodern, reliable and convenient method for transmitting information orfor exchanging information within such a group, in which thecommunication terminals used by the members of the group are utilized.It is a further object of an embodiment of the invention to provide acentral communication terminal for carrying out the method.

In accordance with the method according to an embodiment of theinvention, first of all the respective communication terminals of theusers belonging to the user group must be registered with a centralcommunication terminal. This can be done, for example, at any time in aspecial registration mode of the respective communication terminal or ofthe central communication device respectively. In the case where asystem, which includes for example, a central communication device and aplurality of matching communication terminals, is purchased together,the registration can also be performed in the factory. Incidentally, inthe text below, the term “communication terminal” encompasses all thedevices mentioned previously that have a suitable interface forcommunicating with other devices.

The information is then exchanged or transmitted in the followingmanner:

First of all the information must be stored in the central communicationdevice by use of the keyboard, for example, wherein the information isassigned to the whole user group or to a subgroup or to specificindividual users of the user group. The information storage is possibleat any time and can be performed either actively by an operator of thecentral communication device, or from another communication terminal.Likewise, the central communication terminal can also be suppliedexternally with information or acquire desired information by use of theinterface options described further below.

The information is then forwarded from the central communicationterminal to the respective user(s), in that first of all the presence ofthe communication terminal of the respective user at a location or in aspecific spatial locality around the location of an interface deviceand/or output device of the central communication device is determined.That is to say, it is determined for example whether the user, or thecommunication terminal carried by said user respectively, is located inthe vicinity of the output device, or whether for example thecommunication terminal is located within range of a wireless interface,or for example is inserted in a plug-in receptacle with an interface.

As soon as it is established that the communication terminal or the userrespectively is located at the location or in the selected locality, thestored information assigned to the user is either transmitted by thecentral communication device via the interface device to thecommunication terminal of the user, or alternatively the information forthe respective user is output by way of the output device of the centralcommunication device. The output may be performed acoustically, as aprintout or graphically on a display, or combined in various ways. It isof course possible both for the information to be transmitted to thecommunication terminal and for the information to be output on thecentral communication device at the same time.

For this purpose, a central communication device for carrying out such amethod must first of all have a first memory for storing registrationdata of communication terminals of the users belonging to the usergroup, as well as a second memory for storing information for the users.The memories may of course also be memory areas of an overall memory.Furthermore, the central communication terminal requires a device forassigning the information to the specific users or to a subgroup of theuser group or to the whole user group. Furthermore, the device must havea way by which the presence of a registered communication terminal atthe location or in a specific spatial locality around the location of aninterface device and/or output device of the central communicationdevice can be determined. In addition, the central communication devicerequires an appropriate device for transmitting the information assignedto a user via the interface device to the communication terminal of theuser, provided that the user is determined as present. Further, itrequires a device for outputting the information waiting for the user ineach case by way of the output device respectively.

The presence of a communication terminal of a specific user can bedetermined in different ways and at different times.

In one embodiment, in each case the presence of a communication terminalof a specific user is automatically determined whenever information isassigned to the specific user in the central communication device, forexample when information is stored for the user by another user.

In another embodiment, for determining the presence of a communicationterminal, the communication terminal is logged onto the centralcommunication device as soon as it is located at the location or in thespecific locality around the location of the interfaces or outputdevice. Likewise, it is accordingly logged off when it is removed fromthe location or from the locality. In the central communication deviceit is then centrally recorded at all times which communication terminalsare currently logged off or logged on.

The logging on and logging off can be performed either by an activeoperation of the user or else automatically. In one exemplaryembodiment, in each case a log-on or log-off signal respectively isactively transmitted by the user of the communication terminal to thecentral communication device. This may be performed, for example, via ashort-range interface, e.g. a Bluetooth, IrDA or ultrasound interface.Another possibility is that the central communication terminal has as aninterface device a contact interface, arranged for example within areceptacle shell, into which the communication terminal of the user isinserted or placed when present. In this case, therefore, the logging onis performed automatically when the communication terminal is connectedto the contact interface of the central communication device, and thelogging off is likewise performed automatically when the contact isremoved, for example on withdrawal from the receptacle shell.

If contact interfaces are used for the individual communicationterminals of the users, e.g. in the form of receptacle shells, thecentral communication device preferably has a separate contact interfacefor each communication terminal of each user. In this case, saidreceptacle shells preferably also simultaneously have the function of acharging unit, that is to say, when a communication terminal isinserted, the battery of the device is charged at the same time. Thisforces users to log on regularly. To keep the system expandable, thecentral communication device is preferably of modular design, that is tosay it is possible to couple a plurality of contact interfaces inparallel. This is possible, for example, by using a suitable expandableBUS system for connecting the contact interface modules to one anotherand to the main unit of the central communication device.

If a wireless interface device is used, the locality around the locationof the interface device preferably correlates to the range of theinterface. Here, too, a logging on and logging off can be performedautomatically, for example by the central communication terminalinterrogating at regular intervals which of the registered communicationterminals are within range of the wireless interface. The communicationterminals then have the status of logged on, and a communicationterminal that no longer responds automatically has the status of loggedoff.

In a further embodiment, all communication between the centralcommunication terminal and the communication terminals of the users isperformed by means of a mobile radio system, for example GSM or UMTS.For this purpose, the communication terminals must of course be mobileradio devices or other devices that can be contacted by use of mobileradio. Likewise, the central communication device must have a mobileradio access, possibly also via a fixed network interface. In this casea specific locality around the communication terminal or an outputdevice respectively, for example a display or a voice output of thecentral communication terminal, is defined. Then the location of eachcommunication terminal is determined, within the mobile radio network orvia GPS for example. Finally, it is determined whether the respectivecommunication terminal is located inside or outside the definedlocality. The device then accordingly has the status of present andlogged on, or logged off.

The transmitted information may be information that was input by a userat the central communication device for another user or a user group.Likewise, it may be information that was determined automatically by thecentral communication device for example, e.g. from the Internet, viaWAP or the like, for a specific user or the user group. The informationis then transmitted unilaterally to the communication terminal.

It is of course likewise possible for the respective user to transmitinformation for other users of the user group to the centralcommunication device via his communication terminal. This is preferablyperformed either during logging on or logging off, or when the centralcommunication device transmits information to the communication terminalof the user. In this way, a synchronization is preferably also performedbetween databases of the central communication device and the respectivecommunication terminal of the user, wherein the databases may inparticular be appointments diaries or address lists. In this way it isextremely easy to coordinate appointments relating to various members ofthe user group with each other, record them at the same time, and remindthe individual members of them.

As an output device, the central communication device preferably has adisplay and a voice output. Optional provision is made for a keyboard tobe attached via a keyboard interface so that text messages can beentered easily on the central communication device by use of thekeyboard.

Further optional components for the central communication device are aninterface to a telephone fixed network, a device for connecting anin-house telephone system as well as a mobile radiotransmitting/receiving device.

In this case the central communication device preferably also has adevice for switching over calls arriving on the one line, for example inthe fixed network, to another line, for example the mobile radio networkor the in-house system. In this way a connection between allcommunication systems is possible, so that the central communicationdevice also serves simultaneously as a universal switching center.

Via the aforesaid interfaces it is also possible with the centralcommunication device to receive information from the Internet or viaWAP, and to communicate it as desired via e-mail, SMS or voice.

Moreover, in these cases, when inputting the information into thecentral communication device, the person who stores information foranother user can select whether said message is to be transmittedimmediately, via SMS for example, to the communication terminal of therecipient of the message, if the communication terminal is not presentor logged off, or whether the message is to be stored first of all inthe central communication device and only transmitted to thecommunication terminal of the respective user, or output on the outputof the central communication device for the user respectively, as soonas the respective user logs on or is registered as present.

With a particularly convenient central communication device having afixed network interface, when a communication terminal of a user islogged off, it is additionally possible to automatically switch a calldiversion of all calls arriving for said user to the communicationterminal (provided that said terminal is a mobile radio device) or toanother subscriber line chosen by the respective user.

In another particularly preferred embodiment, the central communicationdevice has the capability of establishing, by way of a command, forexample by pressing a single key, a conference circuit to the mobileradio devices of the members of the user group via the fixed networkinterface or the mobile radio transmitting/receiving unit, whereby atleast all the mobile radio devices that are logged off are contacted,that is to say all the members of the user group who are not locatedwithin a given range around the central communication device.

Instead of communicating over a mobile radio network by use of aseparate mobile radio transmitting/receiving unit, the centralcommunication device is also able to communicate over a mobile radionetwork by way of a communication terminal of a user determined aspresent, provided that the terminal is a mobile radio device. SMSmessages can thus be transmitted or received, for example via theinterface and the mobile radio device, or else calls can be performed.Since as a rule at least the user who is currently operating the centralcommunication device is located with his mobile radio device at thelocation, such a connection capability is virtually always available, sothat in principle it is also possible to dispense with a separate mobileradio transmitting/receiving unit of the central communication device.

In a further preferred embodiment, various function parameters of thecommunication terminal of the user are changed over automatically duringlogging on of a communication terminal of a user with the centralcommunication device, for example on insertion into the receptacle. Forinstance, if the communication terminal is a mobile radio device,special call diversions are activated, filters set etc. that enable theuser to be contactable for specific callers only. It is likewisepossible to select specific ring tones. The changeover of the functionparameters in the mobile radio device can either be performed activelyby corresponding control commands of the central communication device assoon as the mobile radio device is logged on. The changeover can ofcourse also be performed by the mobile radio device itself as soon as itis logged on.

In addition, all calls arriving at the mobile radio device can beautomatically forwarded to the in-house system. It is likewise possiblefor a user to telephone using the in-house system either over the fixednetwork or over the mobile radio network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of anexemplary embodiment with reference to the attached drawings. Thefeatures represented there and the features already described above maybe fundamental to the invention not only in the combinations stated, butalso individually or in other combinations. It is expressly stated atthis point that features which are only stated in connection with themethod may also likewise be fundamental to the invention with respect tothe central communication device for carrying out the method and viceversa.

The single figure shows a schematic diagram of a central communicationdevice 1 according to the invention which is also referred to in thetext below as “central station” 1 for short. The text below also assumesthe use of mobile radio devices 2 as communication terminals 2 of theuser by way of example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the central station 1 is ofmodular design and has a main unit with a display 3, a loudspeaker 4, amicrophone 9, as well as various buttons 5 for controlling a menu on thedisplay 3.

Connected to the central station 1 by way of an expandable BUS systemare a plurality of contact interfaces 6, also referred to in the textbelow as receptacles 6, into which mobile radio devices 2 of theindividual users of the user group can be inserted in each case. In theexemplary embodiment illustrated, the group consists of three members.Accordingly, three receptacles 6 are connected to the central station 1.With this exemplary embodiment, up to four receptacles 6 can beconnected in total. The receptacles 6 also simultaneously serve ascharging stations for the batteries of the inserted mobile radio devices2.

A keyboard 8 is connected to the central station 1 via a keyboardinterface 7. Said keyboard interface 7 may be a wireless interface. Thekeyboard 8 is however preferably connected via the interface 7, whereinthe keyboard 8 is one which can also be plugged directly into a mobileradio device 2.

The central station 1 also has a fixed network interface 10 (e.g. analogor ISDN), as well as an interface device 11 for connection to anin-house telephone system 12, 13, 14. It makes no difference herewhether the telephone system connected to the interface device 11 is asingle conventional telephone, a telephone system having a plurality ofextensions, or a cordless telephone or telephone system. In theexemplary embodiment illustrated, it is a cordless system 13, 14conforming to the DECT standard. An answering machine 12 is likewiseconnected.

The central station 1 forms a communication and information platform fora small group that uses a shared house or office, for example a family.Owing to the various interfaces 10, 11, the central station 1 also formsa sort of adapter between a fixed network interface 10, the mobile radiodevices 2 inserted in the receptacles 6 and the in-house telephonesystem 12, 13, 14.

Messages for other members of the user group or subgroups or the wholeuser group can be stored by various members of the user group by meansof the keyboard 8. This is accomplished by way of storage in acorresponding information memory, wherein the information is assigned ineach case to the members of the group or the whole group or subgroup.Furthermore, via the fixed network interface 10 it is possible torequest information from the Internet or via WAP, for example servicesrelating to weather, shares, events etc., automatically or by way ofappropriate operation. Current offers from stores in the immediatevicinity can also be automatically received and presented on the displayby means of WAP or SMS, or stored as information for specific members ofthe user group. The same naturally applies to e-mails or voice messages.It is likewise possible to transmit SMS, e-mail or other messages at anytime via the central station 1.

The information is stored for a user in the central station 1 until saiduser inserts his mobile radio device 2 into the corresponding receptacle6. On insertion, the mobile radio device 2 of the respective user isautomatically logged on to the central station 1. The mobile radiodevice 2 is logged off automatically when the mobile radio device 2 isremoved from the receptacle 6.

Depending on the type of information, or according to the wishes of thesender of the information, following logging on all the informationstored for the respective user in the interim since the last log-on isthen presented on the display 3 of the central station 1 or output viathe loudspeaker 4. In addition or alternatively, said information can betransmitted to the mobile radio device 2 of the user. Alternatively orin addition—for example in the case of important messages that shouldreach the respective recipient immediately—the information can also betransmitted directly, for example in the form of an SMS message.

It is furthermore possible that on logging on, a synchronization ofvarious files is performed between the central station 1 and the mobileradio device 2 of the user. In particular, a synchronization ofdatabases such as appointments diaries and address lists is possible.

In the present exemplary embodiment, therefore, an appointments diary ispresent in the memory of the central station 1, in which diary all theappointments of the individual members of the group are recorded.

When a mobile radio device 2 of a user logs on, all appointments whichthe user has entered n his mobile radio device 2 since the last log-offare then transmitted to the group appointments diary in the centralstation 1. Conversely, all the appointments relating to the respectiveuser of the mobile radio device 2 which have been entered in theappointments diary of the central station 1 since the log-off of themobile radio device 2 of the user are transmitted to the mobile radiodevice 2.

When the mobile radio device 2 is inserted into the receptacle 6, ifwished by the user it is also possible for special call diversions,filters etc. to be automatically set in the mobile radio device 2 whichare specifically provided for the situation where the respective user islocated in the vicinity of the central station, for example at home.This makes it possible, for example, to be contactable only for specificcallers (identified by CLIP), or to select special ring tones.

As soon as a mobile radio device 2 of a user has been inserted into areceptacle 6, the central station 1 can also communicate via the mobileradio device 2 over the mobile radio network. This means mobile radiocallers can continue to be received on the mobile radio device 2 and beforwarded via the central station 1 to the in-house telephone system.Calls that arrive on the mobile radio device 2 are passed through to theconnected telephone system 13, 14 or to the answering machine 12 as ifthe call had come from a fixed network. In this case the central station1 quasi-simulates the fixed network. In this respect, in principle thecentral station can also be used without a fixed network interface 10. Aversion of this type is a converter from the mobile radio network to aconventional telephone system. This is particularly of interest forlocations at which no fixed network interface is available, but where anormal in-house telephone system is wanted.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, it is also possible either totelephone from the in-house system 13, 14 over the fixed network, or totelephone out over the mobile radio network for example via a specialsignal (e.g. a prefix *99) via a mobile radio device 2 inserted into areceptacle 6. The advantage of this concept is that costs can be savedif someone can be contacted more cheaply over the mobile radio networkthan over the fixed network. In addition, it is possible to obtain afree connection over the mobile radio network when all fixed networklines are busy.

In principle the central station 1 does not intervene in the fixednetwork line (a/b line) as long as no call is accepted or transmittedover the mobile radio network. For this reason, all functions such ascharge pulses, CLIP, fax, modem etc. for example continue to besupported as before. In the case of incoming calls, it is thereforepossible to display the number on the house telephone by means of CLIP,wherein it is possible to signal by corresponding prefixing of a numbercombination whether the call has come over the mobile radio network orover the fixed network.

In the present exemplary embodiment, an incoming mobile radio call isfirst signaled by the mobile radio device 2. After a specific period oftime, for example five seconds, the call is forwarded via the centralstation 1 to the in-house system 13, 14. If the call is picked up, thetwo lines are connected. If it is not picked up, the user can decidewhether the mailbox of the mobile radio network should take over thecall or whether it should be picked up by the answering machine 12connected to the in-house system 12, 13, 14. This is possible byappropriate setting of the mobile radio network call diversion forexample.

In addition to control via the keyboard or the menu control buttons 5respectively, it is also possible to control the central station by useof a built-in voice controller. The central station 1 naturally also hasa hands-free facility so that calls can also be conducted directly atthe central station 1.

Via a special conference key, with a single keypress, it is possible tocontact all mobile radio devices 2 of the members of the user groupwhich are not located in the receptacles 6 at this time for a conferencecircuit. Communication among all members of the group is thus possibleat any time in an extremely simple and user-friendly way.

In a further exemplary embodiment not illustrated, the central stationhas a telematics module as a further module, with which various domesticappliances can be controlled over the telephone. In this case they canbe controlled via a fixed network interface, or via a mobile radiotransmitting/receiving module, or via mobile radio using a mobile radiodevice inserted into a receptacle unit.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

1. A method for transmitting information within a user group, whereincommunication terminals are assigned to the individual users of the usergroup, comprising the steps of: registering the communication terminalsof the users belonging to the user group with a central communicationdevice; storing information in the central communication device, whereinthe information is assigned to at least one of the whole user group, asubgroup and specific individual users of the user group; at least oneof transmitting the information assigned to a user of a communicationterminal from the central communication device to the communicationterminal via an interface device of the central communication device andoutputting the information for the respective user via an output deviceof the central communication device; determining the presence of aregistered communication terminal at least one of a location and in aspecific spatial locality around the location of at least one of theinterface device and the output device of the central communicationdevice, wherein at least one of the transmission and output of theinformation is performed if the communication terminal of the respectiveuser is determined as present or as soon as the communication terminalof the respective user is determined as present, wherein the informationis stored for at least one of the whole user group, a subgroup, andspecific individual users of the user group in the central communicationdevice by use of a keyboard connected to the central communicationdevice.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the presence of acommunication terminal of a specific user is automatically determinedwhenever information is assigned to the specific user in the centralcommunication device.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, fordetermining the presence of a registered communication terminal, thecommunication terminal is logged onto the central communication deviceas soon as it is located at at least one of the location and in thespecific locality around the location of at least one of the interfacedevice and output device, and is logged off when it is removed from atleast one of the location and the locality.
 4. The method as claimed inclaim 3, wherein at least one of the logging on and logging off of acommunication terminal with the central communication device isperformed by way of at least one of a log-on and log-off signalrespectively transmitted by the communication terminal to the centralcommunication device, wherein the transmission of at least one of thelog-on and log-off signal respectively is actively triggered by the userof the communication terminal.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 3,wherein the at least one of logging on and logging off of thecommunication terminal of the user is performed automatically by thecentral communication device.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 1,wherein the interface device of the central communication devicecomprises a contact interface to the communication terminal of the user.7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface device of thecentral communication device comprises a short-range wireless interface,and the locality around the location is correlated to the range of theinterface.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at least one ofduring the transmission of information from the central communicationdevice to the communication terminal and during a logging onto thecentral communication terminal, a communication terminal transmitsinformation for at least one of the user group, a subgroup and aspecific user of the user group to the central communication device. 9.The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information transmissionbetween the central communication device and the communication terminalcomprises a database synchronization.
 10. The method as claimed in claim9, wherein the database comprises an appointments diary.
 11. The methodas claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication terminals of the usersare mobile radio devices.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, whereina logged on communication terminal of a user is used to at least one oftransmit and receive information from the central communication devicevia a mobile radio network.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 11,wherein the central communication device has a fixed network interfaceand calls of the user group arriving for a user on the fixed networkinterface are automatically diverted to at least one of the mobile radiodevice of the user and to another predetermined line when the mobileradio device of the user is logged off from the central communicationdevice.
 14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein, by use of onlyone command, a telephone conference circuit is switched from the centralcommunication device at least to all the communication terminals of theusers of the user group who cannot be determined as present.
 15. Themethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein a function parameter of thecommunication terminal is changed over automatically during at least oneof logging on and logging off of a communication terminal of a user withthe central communication device.
 16. A central communication device forcarrying out a method for transmitting information within a user group,comprising: a first memory for storing registration data ofcommunication terminals of users belonging to the user group; a secondmemory for storing information for the users; means for assigning theinformation to at least one of a user group, a subgroup of the usergroup and specific individual users of the user group; means fordetermining the presence of a registered communication terminal at atleast one of a location and in a specific spatial locality around thelocation of at least one of an interface device and an output device ofthe central communication device; means for at least one of transmittingthe information assigned to the user of the communication terminaldetermined as present via the interface device to the communicationterminal and for outputting the respective information by way of theoutput device; and a keyboard connected to the central communicationdevice for storing information in the second memory.
 17. A communicationdevice as claimed in claim 16, wherein the interface device comprises ashort-range wireless interface for data exchange with a communicationterminal of a user.
 18. A communication device as claimed in claim 16,wherein the interface device comprises a contact interface for acommunication terminal of a user.
 19. A communication device as claimedin claim 18, wherein a contact interface is available for everycommunication terminal of every user.
 20. A communication device asclaimed in claim 18, wherein the contact interface includes a connectionfor charging a battery of the communication terminal.
 21. Acommunication device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the communicationdevice includes a fixed network interface.
 22. A communication device asclaimed in claim 16, wherein the communication device includes a mobileradio transmitting/receiving device.
 23. A communication device asclaimed in claim 16, wherein the communication device includes a devicefor connecting an in-house telephone system.
 24. A communication deviceas claimed in claim 16, wherein the communication device includes meansfor forwarding calls between at least one of a mobile radiotransmitting/receiving device, a fixed network interface and an in-housetelephone system.
 25. A communication device as claimed in claim 16,wherein the output device comprises at least one of a display and avoice output unit.
 26. A communication device as claimed in claim 16,wherein the communication device includes a keyboard interface.
 27. Acommunication device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the communicationdevice includes a voice control device.
 28. A communication device asclaimed in claim 16, wherein the communication device includes atelematics device for the remote control of devices connected to thetelematics device via at least one of a communication terminal of a userand via a fixed network interface.
 29. A communication device as claimedin claim 16, wherein the communication device includes means for loggingon a registered communication terminal with the central communicationdevice as soon as it is located at at least one of the location and inthe specific locality around the location of at least one of theinterface device and output device, and for logging off thecommunication terminal when it is removed from at least one of thelocation and from the locality.
 30. A communication device as claimed inclaim 29, wherein the communication device includes means for theautomatic changeover of a function parameter of a communication terminalof a user during at least one of logging on and during logging off ofthe communication terminal with the central communication device. 31.The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, for determining the presenceof a registered communication terminal, the communication terminal islogged onto the central communication device as soon as it is located atat least one of the location and in the specific locality around thelocation of at least one of the interface device and output device, andis logged off when it is removed from at least one of the location andthe locality.
 32. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at leastone of logging on and logging off of the communication terminal of theuser is performed automatically by the central communication device. 33.The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the central communicationdevice has a fixed network interface and calls of the user grouparriving for a user on the fixed network interface are automaticallydiverted to at least one of the mobile radio device of the user and toanother predetermined line when the mobile radio device of the user islogged off from the central communication device.
 34. The method asclaimed in claim 13, wherein, by use of only one command, a telephoneconference circuit is switched from the central communication device atleast to all the communication terminals of the users of the user groupwho cannot be determined as present.
 35. The method as claimed in claim2, wherein the interface device of the central communication devicecomprises a contact interface to the communication terminal of the user.36. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the interface device ofthe central communication device comprises a short-range wirelessinterface, and the locality around the location is correlated to therange of the interface.
 37. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein,at least one of during the transmission of information from the centralcommunication device to the communication terminal and during a loggingonto the central communication terminal, a communication terminaltransmits information for at least one of the user group, a subgroup anda specific user of the user group to the central communication device.38. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the informationtransmission between the central communication device and thecommunication terminal comprises a database synchronization.
 39. Acommunication device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the interfacedevice comprises a contact interface for a communication terminal of auser.
 40. A communication device as claimed in claim 19, wherein thecontact interface has a connection for charging a battery of thecommunication terminal.